Sister Jensi and Brother Basil, from India, and Vincent and Ziqian, from Singapore, attended the ceremony of the opening of the Holy Door. "As soon as I arrived I realised I was part of something special." For Brother Basil, "Everyone thinks that if one avoids terrorism at home that is enough. Instead, the pope understood that the real solution is mercy”. For Sister Jensi, “The abuse and violence that dominate the world do not matter: there is God’s love and forgiveness.”

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Many Asian Catholics joined the crowd in St Peter's Square for the opening of the Holy Door, which marked the start of the Jubilee of Mercy.

Following the Mass, Sister Jensi and Brother Basil, from India, and Vincent and Ziqian from Singapore, spoked to AsiaNews about their joy at the experience.

"When I arrived this morning at Via della Conciliazione, I immediately realised that I was part of something big, something special. The opening of the door was a thrilling time. I'm lucky to be here."

The nun is a catechist with the Sacred Heart in Rome. She does not know if she will go back to India. For her, the basic point of the Jubilee is that "we have a Father who loves us and the pope always stresses the fact that God is waiting for us with open arms and comes towards us.”

“The Jubilee is not only important for the Vatican and Rome, but for everyone. It is a door open heavenward all over the world . . . The abuse and violence that dominate the world do not matter: there is God’s love and forgiveness. The pope reminded us to have a conscience of love and forgiveness."

Brother Basil is a Franciscan from the Indian state of Kerala where he is vice librarian with the Capuchin friars of St Lawrence. "This is a special day for me.  I was ordained in 2000, during the last Jubilee,” he said.

In his view, the Jubilee carries an important message for India, where "the situation is very turbulent, with many episodes of intolerance. Last month, a large number of writers and intellectuals, despite their political differences, returned their literary awards to protest against violence by Hindu nationalists. This is an important sign that something is changing."

"Many people in the world are not allowed to speak about forgiveness, love and mercy,” he said as he walked away from the square. “Everyone thinks that if one avoids terrorism at home that is enough. Instead, the pope understood that the real solution is mercy, the call to see others as brothers. It is an opportunity to go back to the heart of Christianity."

Vincent and Ziqian arrived in Rome two days ago from Singapore. "Tomorrow we go home. It was a long journey! It is our first Mass in St Peter's Square and we could see the Pope. This was a great gift from God! It is something for everyone. We came here to pray for our family, and our country so that everyone might do something closer to Christ, to be as he wants us to be."

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